1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to exercise machines, and is particularly concerned with a low back exercise machine.
2. Related Art
The lower back muscles may be exercised by lying face down on the floor and then lifting the chest from the ground, or by bending down from the waist and then reversing back into an upright position. Lower back muscles can also be exercised using low back exercise machines, which typically have a seat with a rotatably mounted back rest linked to an exercise resistance. The seated user pushes back against the back rest to move it from an upright or forwardly inclined position back into a rearwardly reclined position. In most low back machines, the seat and a foot plate for engagement by the user are stationary during the exercise. This can cause the user to pop up from the seat as they push the back rest and move into a rearwardly reclined position. In some machines, such as the Hoist HS 1225, the seat is linked to the exercise arm so that it tilts rearward slightly to help keep the user from popping out of the seat, but the foot rest is stationary during the exercise. Some machines for exercising the lower back are dual function, combining abdominal and lower back exercises, or low back and leg press exercises.